Home > Newsletter > April 2002

PROTECTING CHILDREN SAUDI ARABIA STYLE

In Saudi Arabia children are protected from sin by forcing them into a burning building.

In early March a school for girls in Saudi Arabia caught fire during the school day and the young girls inside ran into the street fleeing the flames for their lives. Unfortunately they ran right into the "Mutaween" who forced them back into the building because they were not dressed properly for public view.

The Mutaween are the Saudi police known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Their function is identical to that of the "virtue" police established by the Taliban in Afghanistan which were condemned by President Bush, every member of Congress and the entire American media. There is no criticism for the Virtue Police in Saudi Arabia because the Kingdom is our "ally" against terror.

One witness to the fire said he saw three of the Mutaween police "...beating young girls to prevent them from leaving the school because they were not wearing the abaya." The abaya is a long dress that covers the entire body.

When men tried to help the girls escape the fire they were stopped by the "virtue" police who warned the men that "...it is a sin to approach them."

To make matters worse the school was locked at the time of the fire as is the usual practice to make sure that there is full segregation of the sexes.

When the police chief of Mecca , Brigadier Mohammed al-Harthy, arrived on the scene he said he found members of the religious police "trying to interfere." He told an Associated Press reporter that the religious police were trying to stop regular police officers from entering the building to help the girls.

The situation was so bad that it was mentioned in the Saudi Gazette. Saudi Arabia has no freedom of speech or press. It is the most repressive dictatorship in the world, worse than that of either China or North Korea. It is a surprise that any critical words appeared in the Saudi Gazette at all. It is not known at this writing if those responsible for reporting the deaths of the girls have been imprisoned or worse.